Weeds. They’re vile. They’re unsightly. They’re the bane of your yard’s existence. And they’re everywhere!
How do you get rid of them? Here are some methods that can help clear weeds when your in between professional lawn services. Other methods if done haphazardly or without parameters can kill your beautiful, delicate plants and flowers along with the weeds that is why it is always important to ask a professional landscaper first to make sure it is ok for your lawn. Here are four ways to help get rid of unsightly, irritating weeds.
- Preempt weeds by creating a barrier between the ground and your plants. The best way to avoid weeds is to keep them from growing in the first place. You can use many different discarded or old household items to create a barrier in your garden. Great examples of items to use to block unwanted growth include discarded newspaper, that dirty shower curtain you know you need to get rid of, or old carpeting turned upside down. If you don’t use any of these barriers, at least create an above-ground barrier like mulch or pine needles to minimize the weeds’ ability to break through. Make sure you use about three to four inches of mulch. Less will not prohibit weed growth, but more may stifle the earth beneath and cause rot or mold to flourish. If you need any help with creating barriers and laying the right amount of mulch, call in the experts to make sure you’re using the best barriers and mulches for your unique soil type, environment, and climate.
- Sprinkle baking soda or salt in the cracks. If you have weeds growing in the cracks of your walkway, patio, or retaining wall, an easy way to get rid of them is by sprinkling salt or baking soda into the cracks. If you want to get fancy, you can make a solution consisting of one part salt to two parts boiling water, then pour it over the weeds. If that sounds terribly complicated or time consuming, the salt alone will work. Next time it rains, nature will apply water and spread the salt deep into the cracks, killing the weeds for you without the extra “cooking.”
- Douse weeds with vinegar, bleach, or vodka*. *This tip comes with an asterisk: if you’re going to use a strong substance like the liquids listed here, to avoid harming plant life around the weeds, it is absolutely mandatory you cover up wanted growth. (See our Pro Tip below for an easy way to isolate weeds.) This method takes a more “scorched earth” approach, but you can protect and avoid harming surrounding foliage simply by using a little precaution to shield your grass, plants, and flowers. Once the weed area is isolated, use a spray bottle to apply undiluted bleach or vinegar, or pour a toxic concoction consisting of a small shot of vodka and two cups of water (with a dash of soap for good measure) directly onto unwanted growth.
Pro Tip: Next time you finish a two-liter of your favorite soft drink, save the bottle as way to isolate weeds and protect the surrounding growth during particularly toxic weed removal. Simply cut the bottle in half and toss the bottom half in the recycling bin. Securely situate the top half of the bottle over the weed you’re planning to remove and pour your weed killer into the bottle opening. After the substance has settled on the weed, remove the bottle, and move onto your next target.
- Roll up your sleeves and pull. Finally, never underestimate the power of pulling weeds. You can use special gardening tools designed to dig into the earth and pull up the weeds, or you can simply grab a-hold, and being careful not to break the roots, pull the weeds manually out of the ground. As an added bonus, playing in the dirt has been shown to boost your immune system and has been linked to decreasing depression. So go on and pull some weeds! You may surprised at how great you feel afterwards!
These are the top four weed killing hacks we found. What tips do you have that you would add to the list? Contact us today to help prevent weeds in your lawn and garden.